Today, more than 380 million Christians suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith. Persecution has always been a hallmark of the Christian church. Sadly, most believers in North America have very little knowledge of what is happening to our brothers and sisters around the world.

Over the last year, we have sent out a couple and a family to two different countries, both of which are listed as a place where it is dangerous to share the Gospel. These are our family members, and they have gone to the hard places of the world to share the incredibly Good News.

Persecution has always been the refining fire of the church. By God’s grace, the American church might soon experience persecution, it might be just what we need.

In Revelation 2, Jesus wrote a letter to the church in Smyrna. Today this city is called Izmir in Western Turkey.

The name Smyrna means “bitter”, related to the word myrrh, which is an aromatic resin which comes from a thorn tree. For the aroma to be released, the branches need to be crushed. Such a significant picture for the persecuted church.

Smyrna was an important center of the Roman imperial cult, and anyone refusing to acknowledge Caesar as Lord would be excluded from business. This would mean unemployment and abject poverty.

You are Seen

Jesus begins in verse 9 with the words, “I know your tribulation…”

This is a promise that is echoed throughout the scriptures. Our God sees. There is no pain, suffering or persecution that God does not see and that He will not make right, either in this world or the next. Jesus does not simply look down on us disconnected from our suffering, he intercedes for us, and one day will return to bring everlasting justice.

Revelation 2:9, “I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slanderof those who say that they are Jews and are not but are a synagogue of Satan.”

Jesus recognized their poverty, but he said that they are rich. When we grasp that we are part of the Kingdom of heaven and the incredible promises of Jesus, we will begin to understand the riches that we have. Riches that far exceed the world of bank accounts, houses, cars and other temporal things (see 2 Corinthians 8:9).

Not only were the Christians in Smyrna poor, but they were also being slandered. The Greek word used for slander here, is better translated as blasphemy. Jesus said, that when people slander the church, they are slandering him. Blasphemy is to disrespect God. Jesus takes slander of the church very seriously.

Jesus called these slanderers, the “synagogue of Satan”. These were Jews who did not believe in Jesus as the Son of God. These unbelieving Jews were being used by Satan to persecute the Church.

Most of the persecution the early church faced came from the Jewish community. Even most of the Roman persecution was an effort to appease the Jewish authorities

What a comfort to know that when we are slandered for being a follower of Jesus, we don’t have to defend ourselves or try to argue back, rather, we can rest in the knowledge that Jesus is our defender. As we are reminded in Ephesians 6, our struggle is not against flesh and blood. Satan uses people to accomplish his purposes.

Do not Fear

Jesus continued in verse 10, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

The suffering was about to get worse, but Jesus instructs them no to fear (see Matthew 6:31-33).

Today, anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorders worldwide. Anxiety contributes to a myriad of health problems, increased mortality, obesity, heart disease, cancer and much more. We are a fearful generation, yet we have incredible wealth, medical care, comfort and convenience all around. Satan loves to prey on our fears, feeding us with things to be afraid of, many of which will never amount to anything.

When we take our eyes off the Lord our faith weakens, fear creeps in and consumes us (see Matthew 10:28 and Psalm 56:11). The fear of the Lord always defeats the fear of man.

How big is your God?

Be Faithful

Jesus told the church in Smyrna that even though Satan was going to have some of them imprisoned, God is in control, and their tribulation was temporal.

The encouragement of Jesus to the church is to be faithful, stay standing, even unto death

It doesn’t matter what the doctor says, or your boss says, or the government may say, we can stay faithful because of the one who died and rose again for our sins. Being faithful is standing firm, trusting in the Word of God and it’s promises.  

What anxious thoughts are consuming you?

The world has no shortage of things we are told to be afraid of. But today, the promise of Jesus is that if we stand firm, we have eternal life because Jesus has already won the victory.

What fear is hindering you from walking in freedom and peace?

What is the most important message you have ever been asked to give?

Imagine for a moment the awesome responsibility that the Apostle John had in writing down the Revelation. 

We have spent much of the summer looking at the early church from Acts 2 and answering the question, what are the markers of a healthy church? Ultimately, only Jesus, as the head of the church, defines the health of the church. He is committed to his bride who is preparing herself for the great wedding at the end of time (see Revelation 19).  

Jesus inspects his church, and the seven letters found in Revelation 2 and 3 are a report card on the health of the churches in Asia Minor in 95 AD. While these letters were written to specific churches, they are applicable to all believers, even today. 

The Situation

The beloved disciple and apostle John was a prisoner on a small island called Patmos, which lies in the Aegean between Greece and Turkey. Under Emperor Domitian, Christians were experiencing terrible persecution. John’s revelation exhorted the early church as they were experiencing tribulations. They believed in the imminent return of Jesus, an expectation of the glorious eternal reign of Jesus, and this expectation gave them hope in the midst of trials. 

If this letter was written with the expectation of the imminent return of Christ, how much more should we pay attention today? 

The Vision

What John was allowed to see was way beyond what any human has ever been permitted to see. He saw the risen Lord Jesus in all his resurrected glory. I am sure, even in the Greek language, he struggled to describe what he saw and was told to write. 

There are things that we can learn from John as he begins this book. 

He positioned himself (v. 10).  

Even though John was in prison, he was worshipping the Lord. He was meditating and listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit. He had positioned himself to hear from the Lord. 

Our worship cannot consist of a ninety-minute gathering once a week. We need to position ourselves daily, waiting on the Lord, meditating on His word. 

As John waited on the Lord, the silence was ripped apart by a voice with the force of a trumpet. It was the voice of Jesus. John was an old man by this time, and he was probably one of the few people alive who had heard Jesus speak before his ascension, but that was over 60 years earlier. John must have recognized his savior, but this time, his voice was different. It was glorious. 

He looked (v. 12).

It was crucial that John turned around and looked. This might sound obvious, but so often we miss what God is doing because we don’t pause to look. We miss simple things like beautiful sunsets, stars, mountains, and pieces of art because we are too busy and are unprepared to turn around and look. 

The first things John saw were the seven golden lampstands. The lampstands represent the seven churches who were about to receive the letters. A candle’s role is to convey light; the church is called to be the light of the world (see Matthew 5:14-16). The mission of any church is to be the light of Jesus wherever it is placed. 

Next John saw Jesus, but he didn’t look like the son of a carpenter who came from Nazareth. John saw Jesus in his resurrected and glorified state as the King of Kings (see Revelation 1:13-16): 

• He was dressed in a robe with a golden sash around his chest.  This depicts a King and a judge.
• His had white hair, symbolizing his eternal existence and wisdom (see Daniel 7). 
• His eyes were like blazing fire, seeing through all pretense and disguise (see Hebrews 4:13).  
• His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace. This is a picture of the judgment and purification that Jesus will bring when he comes again. 
• His voice was like the sound of rushing waters. The voice that John first heard as a trumpet became a rushing waterfall. 
• Out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword, which we know is the Word of God, the same Word Jesus used to defeat Satan’s temptation. This sword is our offensive weapon in the armor of God in Ephesians 6.  Jesus destroys his enemies with the Word of his mouth (see Hebrews 4:12, Psalm 46:6). 

He Responded (v. 17)

John fell down in terror and worship. Remember, this is the beloved disciple who leaned against Jesus at the last supper; he was part of the inner circle and knew Jesus as a friend. But now he was seeing Jesus as he really is in his glorified state. He was struck down by the majesty and the glory of the presence of the King of Kings.

I believe if we were to see what John saw, we would have the same response. It wouldn’t be that we would be overcome by Jesus’s beauty and glory; rather, I believe we would be overcome by our sinfulness in light of his holiness. His glory would expose how far short we fall from his glory. 

Throughout history, when God has brought about revival in different regions of the world there has been an overwhelming sense of fear and awareness of sin leading to repentance (see Hebrews 12:28-29). 

John saw the majesty of Jesus and was moved to respond. He became a messenger, proclaiming the most profound message in history—the end of history itself culminating in Christ’s return and eternal reign.

That is how John responded. How has Jesus impacted you, and how are you responding?

Maybe today you need to do what John did: begin each day in the Spirit, praying and meditating on the powerful word of God.

As a church, let us reorient our hearts to worship Jesus as he is today as we read in the words of the Revelation. 

Do you know who you are?

If you have been at Grace Point at any time during the last 10 years, you will know that we value prayer. But even though we emphasize prayer, we still don’t see our prayer times well attended. I have been wrestling with this and would like to suggest that we don’t have a prayer problem, we have an identity problem. We don’t pray because we don’t believe our prayers make a difference, because we don’t know who we are in the Kingdom of God. As followers of Jesus, we have an identity problem.  

A Priestly Calling

As Christians, our identity should not be in our nationality, our education, our career, nor any other criteria, our identity is to be found in being a child of God, adopted by the creator of the universe and being a member of the eternal kingdom of God. But more than that as the Apostle Peter wrote, I am part of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession (see 1 peter 2:9).

If you are a follower of Jesus, someone who has committed your life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, you are a priest, that is your identity.

Andrew Murray in his book, “With Christ in the School of Prayer” writes, “Every member of the Body of Christ – the church, has a right to the priesthood. But not everyone exercises it, many are still entirely ignorant of it. And yet it is the highest privilege if a child of God.”

What does it mean to be a priest in the kingdom of God?

As a church we believe in the priesthood of every believer, we believe that every believer is called to fulltime ministry, whatever their vocation might be (see Revelation 1:5-6).

A New Access

In the Old Testament, under the Mosaic Law, God’s people had a priesthood. There were definite qualifications for this, and it was an awesome privilege. No man in Israel could serve at the altar, or enter the tabernacle or temple holy places, except those born into the tribe of Levi and consecrated to God for service. The priest’s role was to be the mediator between God and man. And only the High priest could enter the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle. Once a year, on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the high priest was permitted to enter and sprinkle the blood of a sacrificial animal on the mercy seat of the Ark. By doing so, the high priest atoned for his own sins and those of the people.

The Holy of Holies was separated from the rest of the tabernacle/temple by the veil, a huge, heavy drape made of fine linen that was up to 6 inches thick.

When Jesus died on the cross, this veil was torn by God from top to bottom. It was a supernatural event done by the power of God to declare that man was no longer separated from God. The Old Testament temple system was made obsolete as the New Covenant was ratified. No longer would we have to depend on priests to perform sacrifices on our behalf (see Hebrews 10:19-22).

We as followers of Jesus now have a great and eternal High priest, who mediates for us, he represents us before God the Father. More than that, because of the perfect and final sacrifice that Jesus performed on the cross, we are declared righteous before God. Jesus is not only the High priest, but he is also the King of Kings, therefore we are a royal priesthood and a holy nation, because we are forever covered and made holy by the blood of Jesus.

We have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus, to be priests where we live, praying for our community and representing God to the culture. Sadly, we don’t realize who we are, we have a case of mistaken identity, and we don’t see ourselves as priests, we are happy just to take our salvation and hide from the world until we die, or Jesus comes again. Instead of influencing our culture, we hide from our culture.

But we are called to be priests who as a body of believers represent Christ to the world. When we display Christ, we display the power of the Gospel and people are drawn to it.  

A Praying Church

If we want to see miracles, salvations, people set free from addictions, marriages healed and lives restored, we need to act like priests who have unhindered and unlimited access to the Great High Priest. That is what it means to pray, that is why a healthy church prays.  

We cannot work our way into church health; we cannot come up with strategies and programs that will somehow create sustainable church health. The only lasting strategy is prayer. Because we desperately need the holy spirit to give us life, we are a dependent people, unity and community are not possible without the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in our church.

Our worship services need to be permeated with prayer, because prayer is an expression of our dependence on God. A healthy church prays, not only on a Sunday morning, but also during the week as we gather.

How do you prepare your heart to worship on a Sunday morning?

Do you realize that as a follower of Jesus Christ, you are a priest in the kingdom, not only on a Sunday morning, but also on a Saturday night. How you spend your time during the week in private has a very real and definite effect on our gathering here together.

“We are members of a body, not only when we choose to be, but in our whole existence.

Every member serves the whole body, either to its health or to its destruction.

This is no mere theory; it is a spiritual reality.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

I was so blessed to have God fearing parents who loved Jesus more than anything else, and modelled a lifestyle of uncompromising spiritual disciplines. My parents would seldom miss attending Sunday worship services and midweek Bible studies.

In our family, it was not an option to go to church, it was not something we did if it was convenient or if something more “exciting” was happening that day.

For my parents, it wasn’t legalism or ritual, rather it was out of a love relationship with the King of Kings. It was a discipline born out of putting Jesus first in our family.  

I so appreciate that it was modelled for me from a very young age.

Gathering with the Body of Christ, is putting Jesus first. I really believe we need to rethink our priorities as a culture and prioritize the discipline of gathering on a Sunday morning. Not “attending” via YouTube but actually being in the room with other believers.

If we were to get an honest answer from many Western church goers as to why they attend church, most people want community or a social gathering, not the living and active Body of Christ. If that offends you, then how can you explain that the average church member attends worship services 1.6 times a month?

As we have been looking at these last few weeks, church health is about healthy communities, proclaiming and living around the Gospel message. The message of the Gospel is what unites us and draws us into fellowship. The word Gospel comes from the Greek translation and simply means, the Good News.

One of the clearest descriptions of the Good News is found in 1 Corinthians 15, as Paul reminds the church of why they exist. Something we need to do time and time again.  

1 Corinthians 15:1-6, “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, ² and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.³ For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁵ and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. ⁶ Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.”

That is the Gospel that Paul said is, “of first importance”.  Jesus, the sinless Son of God, died in our place, crucified for our sins. He was raised back to life, overcoming sin and death, paving the way for us to be able to stand in right relationship with our Heavenly Father.

Looking at verse 1, we have three key words regarding this message of the Gospel.

“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand.”

1. The Gospel must be Preached.

The role of the Church is to preach the Good News (See Romans 10:14).

We proclaim the Gospel through the ordinances of the church, Baptism and Communion – the Lord’s Supper. To proclaim and remember the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Every time we partake of the elements of the bread and the cup, we declare the Gospel. It is anything but routine, it is a life-giving and essential part of a healthy church.

• The Gospel must be Received

We can hear the Gospel every day, but until we receive it and believe it, entering into a personal relationship with Jesus, it is not the Good News for us. The Gospel only becomes Good News when we personally believe in the name of Jesus for salvation.

• We Stand on the Gospel

It doesn’t matter what is happening in the Middle East, the White House, our bank accounts or the doctors report, we stand on the promise of the Gospel.

Writing about Spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6, Paul emphasizes the importance of standing firm (See Ephesians 6:13-14).

We stand on the Gospel of Jesus Christ because in light of eternity, it is all that will ultimately matter.

A Warning

But we must always approach communion with awe and reverence. It is remembering the suffering of Jesus, it is holy.  

Paul writes a warning to the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 11:27-32. We need to examine our hearts and allow the Holy Spirit to bring conviction of sin, that we may repent and come to the table with clean hands and a pure heart (See Psalm 24).

How reverently do you approach the Lord’s Supper?

Maturity is not measured in years; rather maturity is a measure of emotional and spiritual health. Maturity is being self-aware and comfortable with who God has made you to be. Immature people often try to copy others rather than developing their own identity in Christ.

Depending on our life experiences and trauma, we all have some aspects of our emotions that are not mature and that have not developed the way God intended.

For the Christian, maturity is Christlikeness. It means growing more like Jesus and dying to our flesh daily, finding satisfaction in the approval of our Heavenly Father alone.

In Ephesians 4, the Apostle Paul encouraged the church to be unified, to use their gifts and to mature as the Body of Christ. We see in verse 12 that maturity comes from doing the work of the ministry. We make a mistake when we think that we cannot do the work until we are spiritually mature. The truth is that we grow and mature as we exercise our spiritual gifts in the Body.

In verses 13-16, we see four traits of a spiritually mature person:

1: Maturity Involves Christlikeness

In verse 13, we read that Jesus is our example of spiritual maturity. The fullness of Christ is the expression of completion of our Christian walk, exhibited by the Fruit of the Spirit that we see in Galatians 5:22-23.

Sanctification is the process of becoming more like Jesus, as our old way of thinking and acting is replaced by Christ’s through the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We will only attain Christlikeness when Jesus comes again, but we need to be moving forward. If you are not more like Jesus today than you were a year ago, something is wrong with your walk with the Lord. We grow more like Jesus as we walk with Jesus.

2: Maturity Involves Doctrinal Stability

Spiritual maturity involves the mind. We must not think that Christian growth is purely an emotional and spiritual exercise and that we need to check our reasoning skills at the door. Verse 13 encourages us to grow in the knowledge of the Son of God. And in verse 14 Paul uses the example of children as the opposite end of the spectrum. Children can be gullible and easily swayed by false teaching.

We all begin our relationship with Jesus as spiritual children, with childlike faith. But we must not stay as children; we need to grow and be able to feed ourselves by reading and meditating on the Word of God.

The world is full of false teachers with false doctrines. We need to think, pray, and ask God for discernment. We have a very real enemy who will use every tool available to sidetrack us on our spiritual journey of becoming more like Jesus.

Knowing the Word is the best way to avoid being distracted by false doctrines and unbiblical teaching. We can only know God’s Word by spending time reading and meditating on it.

Sadly, the statistics show that most churchgoers do not read their Bibles, and this is why the church is prey for false teachers (see Hebrews 5:11-14).

3: Maturity involves Truth Joined with Love

Verse 15 has the often-misused text, “speaking the truth in love…” This verse has often been taken and used as a “baseball bat of brotherly love”. It’s one of those Christianese phrases that we like to use before or after saying something harsh.

This is more than simply speaking; the Greek word is complex here. John Stott describes it as “truthing”. Speaking the truth in love is truthing in love. This includes maintaining, living, and practicing the truth. We live out the truth as an example to those around us. It is the equivalent of the phrase: “actions speak louder than words.”

Mature people do not avoid tough conversations, but they speak from a firm foundation of love and not for selfish gain.

 “Truth becomes hard if it is not softened by love, love becomes soft if it is not strengthened by truth” John Stott

4: Maturity Involves Contribution

In verse 16, Paul goes back to the analogy of the body when speaking about the church.

The church is like a body with many different parts and connections; it is not a social club. The church is the Body of Christ, where each part has an important part to play.

As the church, we are dependent on Christ as the head of the church, and we are dependent on each other as working members of the same body. As we grow in Christ individually, we exercise our gifts, and the Body becomes healthy.

Sadly, many churches in the world have a static view of the church. The members of the church are satisfied if the congregation stays about the same size, with the same familiar faces. They are happy if the programs can all be maintained and the budget is enough to keep all the familiar programs running. In these churches there is no vision for growth through evangelism or missional engagement. This church may have already died.

This is a tragedy and not God’s design for the church. God’s design for the church is to be the salt and the light in our communities and to be the cultural influence for the glory of God.

As we focus on being a healthy church, the natural by-product is growth. But what is church growth? Is it numeric growth?

I believe church growth is first and foremost spiritual maturity, sacrificial living, healthy evangelistic relationships, and people feeding on the Word of God for themselves. Thereafter, the numeric growth will follow.

If you have been a Christian for any length of time, who are you feeding? Are you growing?

Forgiveness is one of the most powerful concepts in the Bible.

In Matthew 18, the apostle Peter asks Jesus for some guidance with regards to forgiving a brother who seems to have offended him frequently.

Within the church family, there will always be people who offend or hurt one another, hence there will be opportunities for forgiveness to be practiced.

While it is hard, forgiveness is powerful because it removes the authority of the enemy over our relationships in our church. It cuts to the very root of unforgiveness, which is pride.

Peter was looking for a statute of limitations on forgiveness, a number that he could attain and thereafter, he would no longer have to practice forgiveness. But Jesus responds with an answer that suggests we should not be counting the times we are called to forgive our brother or sister in the Church. We have no right to count the number of times we forgive.

Jesus proceeds to tell the parable of the unforgiving servant.

Insurmountable Debt

The story is about a king who discovers that one of his servants owes him a debt of ten thousand talents. In the Roman empire that was the equivalent of two hundred thousand years of wages! Jesus made the sum practically inconceivable.

When it comes to debts, we underappreciate the gift of salvation we have been given. We don’t grasp the astronomical debt we owe because of our sin in comparison to the holiness of God. When we get a glimpse of how much we have been forgiven, we can’t help but praise God and thank Him for the great gift of grace that we have received through the Gospel.

Getting back to the parable, the servant begs for mercy. The king doesn’t simply extend mercy; he wipes the slate clean, forgiving the entire debt. This level of grace is hard for us to grasp; it even offends us.

But, I am that servant, and so are you. We who have been washed by the blood of Jesus have been forgiven much.

Miniscule Debt

The parable continues in verse 28, “But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.”

The much-forgiven servant finds someone who owes him the equivalent of one hundred days’ wages. He grabs him and throws him into debtor’s prison.

The same one who had received incredible grace is the one who now shows anger without any mercy at all.

Soon the report of what the servant has done gets back to the King.  He is furious. The king goes back to the original punishment and has the unforgiving servant thrown in prison for what would seem like eternity.

Jesus delivers the punchline in verse 35, “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

God despises unforgiveness. If we hold unforgiveness in our hearts, we are willfully stepping outside of the grace of God, and it is painful. When we don’t forgive someone, we are bound by our unforgiveness (see Matthew 16:19).

Unforgiving Debtor

Why do we harbor unforgiveness, holding on to the offense and putting the person into “prison” until they can pay off their debt? The primary reason is pride.At the root of our prideful unforgiveness is a failure to understand that we have been forgiven much. There is no offense that someone can commit against us that will come close to the offense of our sin against the all-holy God. It takes humility to admit this.

When Jesus taught what we know as the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6, he added an addendum on this very subject (see Matthew 6:14-15). Jesus expanded on the sentence, “…as we forgive our debtors”. The Lord’s prayer is so familiar that sometimes we need to be reminded of the meaning of what we are reciting.

Jesus is not saying that to earn God’s forgiveness, we must forgive others. Rather, he is saying that if you have truly experienced the grace and forgiveness of God, you will have a readiness and willingness to forgive others. Our relationship and connectedness with our heavenly Father translate to our relationship with one another; this is where the power for forgiveness lies (see 1 John 4).

When we withhold forgiveness towards another brother or sister, we are hindering our relationship with God. As a result, our prayers are hindered.

 “Fellowship with my brother helps to determine my fellowship with God;

hence, forgiveness is important to prayer.” 

Warren Wiersbe

God desires that we live in a peaceful and healthy community within the church. Let us do everything we can to keep short accounts with one another. May our prayers be powerful and effective as a result.

Who do you need to forgive today?

This passage is one of the more challenging portions of Scripture to understand, but it declares wonderful truths. 

Glorious Access

Baptism and Communion are the two ordinances that Jesus gave to the church. Two seemingly simple activities, but they proclaim the reason why we exist as believers. This is the Gospel, the good news about what Jesus has done. 

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,” 1 Peter 3:18. 

Jesus suffered more than any human being has ever suffered, but the purpose of his suffering was to reconcile us to God so that we could have a relationship with God the Father.

The phrase “bring us to God” is a legal term that means to gain an audience in a court. Because of what Jesus has done on the cross, we now have access to the throne of God (see Hebrews 10:19). 

The victory that Jesus won transformed the way believers relate to our Heavenly Father. The Old Testament prophets longed for the access that we have been granted by the Holy Spirit. We take for granted this glorious access. 

Glorious Proclamation. 

1 Peter 3:18b-20 continues, “being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, ²⁰ because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.”

Who are the spirits that Jesus went to visit?

Theologians propose three possibilities: 

1: Some propose that Jesus went to preach to those who died in the flood of Noah. They suggest that Jesus gave them a second chance for salvation. But this goes against the teaching of the rest of the Bible (see Hebrews 9:27).

2: Others suggest Peter is saying that the Holy Spirit preached through Noah already and that when Jesus died, between his death and resurrection, he visited these people. Jesus didn’t go to preach the Gospel but rather to simply declare his victory over sin and death. 

3: Another commonly accepted explanation proposes that Jesus proclaimed his victory to fallen angelic spirits. Proponents of this viewpoint to the fact that Peter used the word “spirits” and not souls in verse 19. One of the reasons for this explanation is found in the little letter of Jude verse 6 and 7. Some believe Paul was referring to the account in Genesis 6 as he wrote the letter to Jude. In Genesis 6 we read that fallen angels had sexual relations with women, procreating a race of giants. God placed these fallen angels in confinement until the final judgment, and hence it may be that Jesus went and declared his glorious victory to these imprisoned spirits. Regardless of which interpretation is correct, the point remains clear: Jesus has won the victory, and he himself proclaimed it. Glorious Witness

1 Peter 3:21 continues, “Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

Peter connects the relationship between Noah and the topic of baptism. 

At first reading, Peter seems to be saying that baptism saves us. The rest of Scripture tells us this is not true. For example, the thief on the cross who was crucified next to Jesus, repented and was saved. He was never baptized. 

The Bible teaches that it is through faith in the saving work of Jesus that we are saved. There is no further work needed. Baptism is a public witness of something that has already taken place—a glorious witness, declaring to all that we have been saved by the blood of Jesus. 

Glorious Savior

Chapter 3 ends with a powerful and encouraging declaration. 

“…Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him,” 1 Peter 3:21b-22.

Our savior is at the right hand of God the Father in heaven. But he is not remote and distant. He is present with us by his Spirit in us and we are with him, (see Ephesians 2:4-7). 

Jesus is our advocate, high priest, savior and redeemer, who is constantly interceding for us (see Romans 8:34). 

When you are struggling and God seems far off, remember that we have Glorious Access. 

When you are surrounded by negative voices and it seems that all around you the world is spiraling into darkness, remember the Glorious Proclamation that Jesus has victory over sin and death. 

When the enemy tries to tempt you into doubting your salvation, remember the Glorious Witness of your baptism.

When you are tempted to think that the enemy is gaining the upper hand in the world, remember our Glorious Savior who has been given all authority in heaven and on earth (see Matthew 28:18-20). 

And it is in that authority that he commands us not to retreat or run and hide but to go and proclaim Jesus Christ: crucified, risen and victorious over sin and death. 

We have a Glorious Victory! Walk in that victory this week.

The Apostle Peter writes in 1 Peter 3:1, “…wives, be subject to your own husbands.” This is a topic that most people in Western culture would say is irrelevant and out of touch.

But this verse is only contentious because the more we drift from Biblical morality and authority, the more foreign and out of date the Bible seems to be.

God designed marriage for healthy families and society.

Another similar passage relating to marriage is found in Ephesians 5, where Paul writes that the real purpose of marriage is to reflect the relationship between Christ and the Church (see Ephesians 5:32).

The Pattern of Marriage

In the Bible, headship or rulership is not defined by authoritarian style leadership, but rather by Christlike sacrifice (see Ephesians 5:25).

In the Garden of Eden, men and women were given dominion over the animals, but they were never given dominion over each other. Headship in a marriage does not refer to power, but rather responsibility – responsibility to lead and be accountable for the spiritual direction of the family.

Wives are called to submit to their husband’s leadership, but husbands are called to daily give their lives for their wives, preferring them over themselves.

“Headship is not dictatorship, but the loving exercise of divine authority under the lordship of Jesus Christ” – Warren Wiersbe.

It is important to point out that for a wife to submit to the authority of her husband does not mean that she must submit to abuse. Abuse of any kind has no place in marriage or society. The Bible does not encourage us to ignore or cover over abuse.

But healthy submission to godly leadership is God’s design for a healthy marriage. It does not mean that the wife is inferior to the husband (see 1 Peter 3:7). Husbands and wives are called to be partners, not competitors.

The Unbelieving Spouse

In verse 1, Peter encourages women who are married to unbelievers to conduct their lives in a manner that would win their husbands to Christ.

In the Roman empire, women had a very low position, but the church was growing, and many women were beginning to understand their value in the kingdom of God. 

Many of these women were married to unbelievers, and they were trying to figure out how to live with their unbelieving husband. The Bible clearly states that a believer should not marry an unbeliever (see 2 Corinthians 6:14). As a follower of Jesus, he is the most important relationship in your life. To marry an unbeliever will lead to pain and heartache. 

However, if you are married to an unbeliever, Peter writes that you have an opportunity to win over your spouse to Christ, not by preaching or arguing, but by your lifestyle. The character of the believing wife will win her husband over, and the qualities of her character must be the fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23).

This applies to all our witnessing for Christ. People are not brought to the point of conversion because of our good arguments; rather, as we proclaim the Gospel and live a lifestyle that displays the fruit of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit draws the unbeliever to salvation.

The Beauty of the Heart

In verses 3 to 5, Peter writes about the way women were relying on external adorning, such as jewelry and fine clothing, to look beautiful. Peter warns the Christian wives to not be too focused on external decorations, but rather on internal character (see 1 Peter 3:4). 

The Bible says internal beauty is imperishable. Some of the most beautiful people in the world are the elderly who poignantly exhibit the beauty and the character of Christ. That is precious in God’s sight. 

In verse 5, Peter writes that this inner adorning is part of submitting to one’s husband.  Things that align with God’s original design are beautiful. 

The Fearlessness of Submission

The submission Peter calls wives to is willing submission, not unhealthy subjection out of fear of punishment or abuse. A woman who is subjected to an unhealthy relationship, who walks in fear, loses some of her inner beauty and joy. 

In a healthy God-honoring marriage, the wife should not need to walk in fear of abuse in the marriage or fear of external threats to the home. God calls men to protect and lead their families in such a way that their wives do not fear such threats. 

The Godly Husband

In verse 7, Peter addresses believing husbands and gives them three instructions; 

1: Live with your wives in an understanding way 

This is more than simply sharing the same address; it is being present at home, spending quality time as a couple, “in an understanding way”. 

There was a recent survey that revealed that the average American couple spends 37 minutes a week in actual communication. No wonder so many marriages are in trouble. 

You can never understand someone unless you make the effort to spend time with them and even disagree with them at times. Marriages will not grow without wrestling through what makes us different. 

2: Show honor to the weaker vessel

Chivalry is not outdated. Women are usually weaker physically, but not in any way inferior mentally, morally, and spiritually. 

Giving honor is showing respect, preferring your wife. This does not mean you have to always agree, but you must listen to and respect her opinion. 

3: Unhindered prayers 

Peter assumes that men are praying. Men, your primary responsibility in the home is to lead and to shepherd your home in the ways of the Lord. 

If you are not praying together as a family, it is your responsibility. If you are not leading your family to pray, you are neglecting your duty. This is critical and probably the primary reason why Christian marriages are struggling. 

The Mystery of Marriage

Marriage is designed to proclaim the Gospel. It is a mystery. God ordained marriage, and He desires for us to proclaim the beauty of the Gospel through our marriage. 

God designed the human body with incredible detail. Each part relies on and connects to the rest of the whole for a specific purpose. When one part fails or becomes disconnected, the entire body is aware that something is wrong. 

In 1 Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul uses the human body as an illustration for the church. The picture of the church as a body is helpful, as every member of the church has been given spiritual gifts for the health and growth of the body. 

The Members of the Body

The church consists only of followers of Jesus who are filled with his Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 12:13). Sadly, most churches have people on the membership role who are not true followers of Jesus. 

It is imperative that we as the church proclaim God’s Word in truth and challenge people to really know what it means to give their life to the Lordship of Jesus. 

As the Body of Christ, as fellow believers, we need to be committed to one another. We are called to gather regularly for fellowship, worship, and the preaching of the Word.  

The Lies of the Enemy

We know from the Bible that the enemy of our souls is a liar and the father of lies. From this passage we see two lies that Satan uses in the church. 

Lie #1: “I don’t belong” 

“If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body…” 1 Corinthians 12:15-16a.

Sometimes we are tempted to think that if we are not on a committee or lack a title, we are not really important to the Body. The pastor, deacons, life group facilitators, and other leaders in the church are the valuable members, but we think we don’t really fit if we don’t have a title or an official role. 

That is a lie. 1 Corinthians 12:17 reads, “If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?”

God has designed you and uniquely gifted you for His church (see 1 Corinthians 12:18). 

Lie #2   “I am not needed”

“The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 1 Corinthians 12:21.

One of the negative consequences of the mega church/seeker sensitive model is that church has become a place where people sit down and are entertained. We want people to attend, but we never encourage people to use their gifts. As a result, the subtle message we are conveying is that “we don’t need you”. We need your attendance, we need your money, we need your likes on Facebook, but just sit there and be “blessed”while we take care of the rest. That is not the Body of Christ; that is not the Church. 

We read in verse 18 and verse 24 that God has arranged and composed the members of the Body, the church,  with giftings and purpose for His glory and for the ministry of the church. Exercise your gifts; don’t wait to be nominated or asked to be on a committee. 

• If your gift is hospitality, invite someone you don’t know over to your house and bless them. 
• If your gift is mercy, find out who is sick or homebound in the church, go visit them. 
• If you have the gift of helping, ask an elderly person in the church if they need help with anything. 

Don’t believe the lie of the enemy by thinking that because  you are not apostolic, prophetic, healing, or speaking in tongues then you are lesser than in the body of Christ. 

We have to get away from the destructive culture of spiritual elitism. There is great danger in being in a group that makes other Christians seem “lesser than” because “they don’t have the revelation that we have. We are the mature ones; we have the special ear of the Lord.”

We are all sinners saved by grace, and we are all gifted by the Holy Spirit to be a part of the Church. Use the gift that God has given you. The church will be blessed, and you will be fulfilled in your walk. 

The Result of Our Gifts “That there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.” 1 Corinthians 12:25. 

Unity is always under attack in any church because it is incredibly powerful. Unity grows as we utilize and encourage our individual gifts. 

David Prior wrote, “we differ from one another, and only God, who made us different, can hold us together”. The result of using our gifts well is unity and mutual care in the Body of Christ.. 

The Desire for Higher Gifts

Paul explains that we each have different gifts, but he says in verse 31, “but earnestly desire the higher gifts.”  What are the higher gifts?

I would like to propose that the higher gifts are the servant gifts. The gifts done in secret, the “non-platform” gifts. 

It seems there was a competitiveness in the church in Corinth that is still in our churches today. People with the more visible, the more demonstrative and supernatural gifts, tend to be elevated to super-Christian status. This can lead to pride and that spiritual elitism. 

Jesus said in Matthew 20:26, “It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant.”

What if that is what Paul was talking about in verses 21-25, about the unseen or the weaker parts of the Body? In verse 24, we read, “…but God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it.”

Learn your spiritual gift and exercise that gift. You will be fulfilled, and the church will be blessed.